Teachable Vs. Building Your Own Custom Course – Why I
left Teachable to build my own custom course.

Hey friend, let’s chat about why I decided to ditch Teachable and build my own course from scratch. Spoiler alert: it’s all about freedom and flexibility!

If you’ve been through my free 5-day Called to Blog E-Course, you know I used to recommend Teachable as a great platform for brand-new bloggers to start with. And honestly, it still can be a good option—maybe.

But as I’ve grown, I noticed some pretty big limitations that pushed me to make the switch. So, I wanted to share the pros and cons of Teachable vs. building your course from scratch, in case you’re considering the same move.

So what is Teachable?

Teachable is a super easy-to-use platform where you can create, host, and sell online courses. It’s designed for creators who want a simple, no-fuss way to get their course online and start selling quickly—especially helpful if you’re not into all the techy stuff.

One of the biggest draws of Teachable is how fast you can have your course live and ready to roll. And that’s really appealing when you’re just starting out!

The Perks of Teachable

1. Pre-Built Templates & No Tech Headaches

One of the best things about Teachable is how easy it is to use. You don’t need to know any coding or web design to make your course look good. Teachable has ready-made templates, so you can just drag and drop your content in, hit publish, and focus on your students instead of worrying about the tech side.

2. Payment Integration Is a Breeze

Another bonus: Teachable integrates with PayPal and Stripe, so you can start accepting payments from students around the world without any extra hassle. You don’t have to mess with setting up payment processors—it’s all built in and ready to go.

3. Customer Support & Maintenance

Teachable takes care of all the backend stuff, like security, platform updates, and customer support. So if your site ever crashes or needs an update, they’ve got it covered. That means more time for you to focus on your content, not troubleshooting tech issues.

Pretty cool, right? But here’s where things get a little tricky…

The Downsides of Teachable

1. The Costs Yikes.

Teachable’s Basic Plan starts at $59/month. Not bad, right? But wait—there’s more (and not in a good way). They take an additional 5% of every sale you make! And if your course does well, that 5% adds up really quickly. Want to ditch the fees and the big, bold Teachable logo splattered everywhere? You’ll have to hand over $159/month for the Professional Plan. Yikes!

2. Teachable Branding Overload

One of my biggest pet peeves with Teachable is the branding they slap all over your course on the Basic Plan. It’s not some tiny watermark either—it’s front and center, reminding everyone this isn’t really your course platform. To get rid of it, you’ve got to shell out for the Pro plan, and that price tag starts to hurt when you’re just trying to grow your biz.

Heres’s what the branding looks like on the sales page:

Here’s what the teachable branding looks like on the course page:

3. Customization?...

Teachable’s simplicity is a blessing and a curse. Sure, it’s easy to use, but if you want to make your course stand out, Teachable limits how much you can customize. You can only tweak so much before you hit a wall, which isn’t great if you want your course to feel 100% you.

So, Why Did I Build My Own Course From Scratch?

After feeling boxed in by these limitations, I knew I had to make a change. Building my course platform from scratch seemed daunting at first, but now? Best. Decision. Ever. Here’s why:

1. Total Control Over Design & Branding

No more Teachable logos, no more restrictions! With my own platform, I have complete creative freedom. I get to design everything exactly how I want it. From the colors to the layout, it’s all me—and my students get an experience that’s cohesive and on-brand.

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Psst: Here’s what the custom course looks like inside the course:

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2. Less Transaction Fees (Bye-Bye, 5%!)

By building my own platform, I don’t have to hand over 5% of every sale to a third-party service. Sure, there were some upfront costs, but in the long run, I’m saving money. Plus, I get to pick the payment processors that work best for me without worrying about extra fees.

3. Unlimited Customization

This is my favorite part! Want to create custom student paths or offer personalized content recommendations? You can do all that and more when you’re not stuck inside the Teachable box. I get to build an experience that’s not only personalized but scalable as my business grows.

4. Room to Scale

Speaking of growth, building my platform gives me room to scale my business without worrying about platform restrictions or rising costs. I can add new features, integrate tools I love, and grow without waiting for Teachable to catch up or charging me more to do it.

In Conclusion.

Teachable can be great if you’re just starting and need something quick and easy. But if you’re like me and want full control over your brand, student experience, and long-term profits, building your course from scratch might be the move. Yes, it’s more work upfront, but the freedom, flexibility, and savings down the road are so worth it.

If you’re ready to level up and take full control of your course biz, making the switch could be a game-changer for you too!

🎉 Exciting news! I’ll soon be rolling out my Called To Blog Africa program where I’ll be setting up custom courses and our coaching platforms for my group clients — stay tuned!

In the meantime, if you’re eager to kickstart your blog, check out my Called To Blog course! It’s designed to help you launch your blog in just 5 days. I’ll walk you through my GAB-LC method, sharing tips to boost your website traffic, grow your email list and brand, and create a content-driven site that’s both engaging and profitable.

Ok boss until next time, cheers.

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8 Secrets to Increase Your Blog Authority as a Brand New Blogger